6 New Lanes for Truckers
Does your morning commute or travels into the surrounding GVRD cities seem to be taking longer than normal? Well you are not alone. Almost everyone travelling to any of the Fraser Valley communities is feeling the annoyance of constant congestion and delays in their drive. Many say they just try to avoid this part of the highway whenever they can. What can be done to repair this mess?
The Government of Canada and the B.C Ministry of Transportation seem to have the solution.
Wide Open
The plan is to expand a section of the highway from four lanes to six lanes between 216th Street and 202 Street. According to the Ministry of Transportation, widening the highway should help reduce gridlock and improve motorist safety.
This is actually the second phase of a project to widen the Trans-Canada highway. The total estimated cost of this project is $59 million, with the Government of Canada contributing $22.3 million, the Government of British Columbia contributing $22.3 million and the Township of Langley is funding $14.3 million to help out with the $59 million total cost of this project.
In addition, high occupancy vehicle ramps will be extended to and from 202nd Street. Once this project is completed the new 216th Street interchange will have six lanes total, with four travel lanes and two left-turning lanes on the ramps. Access to Highway 1 at 216th Street will now be had through two signalized intersections.
Why It Matters to Truckers
We all know that time is money. This is especially true in the trucking industry. This segment of highway 1 has a daily traffic volume of more than 106,000 vehicles. About 15,000 of these vehicles are commercial trucks. This project is designed to reduce congestion as well as increase capacity and safety on Highway 1 and improve connectivity between Langley communities north and south of the highway.
This improvement is expected to help business and truckers improve their efficiency and lower their transportation overhead costs as goods can be transported with less delays and with less fuel spent, as well as the added incentive of lowering their carbon footprint.
Read more about this project here: www2.gov.bc.ca/releases/
Contributors
Rob Morris